African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 1168: Chapter 77: Shock and Fear

The police station of Malaykaibo City and the Dan Black Gang are quite well-acquainted, so soon, an ”old friend” was brought before Chavez.

Chavez leaned on the timid young man in front of him and asked, ”Oh, isn’t this Chris from the eighth district? Why do you look so sick, looking so terrible.”

With a bout of sarcastic banter, it was clear Chavez recognized this young man. Chris was a small leader of the Dan Black Gang in the eighth district of Malaykaibo City.

The reason Chavez remembered him clearly was that a month ago, this young man had offended him. Although he eventually let him go because of the gang’s strength, this didn’t mean Chavez didn’t hold grudges. Back then, Chavez simply didn’t want to get into more trouble.

Chris was only eighteen years old, yet he was already an important member of the Dan Black Gang. Of course, now that the gang’s leadership had been purged, Chris, the fish that escaped the net, became the highest leader of the surviving Dan Black Gang.

The youthful appearance of Chris also highlighted his very young age, but he had been in the gang for quite some time. In this era, children from the lower echelons mature early, or rather, they enter society very early.

Chris, at eighteen, had actually joined the Dan Black Gang at the age of fourteen. He was an orphan; his parents had died one after another when he was ten, leaving him without education or skills.

However, Chris was endowed with a robust physique, particularly strong, a good hand in a fight, and the leader among children from a young age. So at fourteen, after witnessing the gang’s power on the streets, he joined the ”big family” of the Dan Black Gang without hesitation.

And being young means daring to fight and being prone to arrogance and recklessness. Soon enough, Chris gained Carmen’s favor by adopting a leadership style similar to that of the second-generation leader of the Dan Black Gang. After several leading offensives, he was promoted by Carmen to a small leader, specifically managing the eighth district.

Two months ago, this young man thriving in the Dan Black Gang was invited to the police station for a ”tea session” due to a street fight case.

Because of his youthful arrogance, he was disrespectful to Chavez at the time. Chavez still remembers what Chris said to him then: ”What are you, the police chief? You cops are just gangs in uniforms, not even comparable to us in the Dan Black Gang...”

Comparing his arrogance and devil-may-care attitude from two months ago to now, Chris seemed like a completely different person.

His face was pale, his legs were shaking so hard that others had to support him to stand up, clearly scared to death by the tragic end of the Dan Black Gang.

Facing Chavez’s words, he stammered, ”Chief Chavez, I was young and ignorant back then, please don’t hold it against someone as insignificant as me...”

Chavez interrupted him, saying, ”Alright, no need to flatter me, were you present yesterday when the Dan Black Gang was annihilated?”

Chris replied in terror, ”I guess I was there! However, at the time, I only rushed over after hearing the gunshots, and then I saw the horrific scene... I hid in a corner, not daring to make a sound, and only came to my senses later that night, after which I ran back to my place.”

After hearing Chris’s explanation, Chavez gained a lot of intelligence: a batch of black-clad attackers, fully armed, besieged the Dan Black Gang, with numbers not less than forty or fifty people, and they were highly composed and experienced.

When Chris heard the gunshots, he came over from elsewhere, stealthily hiding near a street corner garbage can. One must say, he was indeed brave.

If it were Chavez and others, they definitely wouldn’t have done it this way; otherwise, the police should have been on the scene the night of the incident.

But Chavez and the other police weren’t fools. With gunfire so intense the previous day, ordinary people wouldn’t risk coming here. If one were silenced, to whom would you complain?

So, despite Chris being frightened to death, just the fact he dared to ”join the fun” last night proves he wasn’t ordinary, but apparently, Chris paid the price for his recklessness. The once fearless calf is now scared out of his wits.

Afterward, Chavez questioned some surviving members of the Dan Black Gang, but most of them weren’t at the scene and didn’t ”witness” as rashly as Chris did.

Yet, from the information they provided, Chavez pinpointed the suspects.

”The Dan Black Gang indeed offended quite a few people lately, but the most well-known should be the East Africa Oil Company. Some members of the gang said that the gang targeted a construction site of the East Africa Oil Company recently, and especially many peripheral members were involved in this incident.”

Chavez sighed, ”The East Africa Oil Company! That’s indeed a deep-pocketed entity. Come to think of it, didn’t they seek our help before?”

”That’s right, Chief, are you suspecting...” a subordinate guessed.

Chavez nodded, ”Very likely; the possibility of hiring assassins is high, especially since the East Africa Oil Company doesn’t lack money. I’ve heard their influence is significant in East Africa.”

Chavez wasn’t like Carmen, an uneducated person; he was well-educated, at least in Venezuela, where his educational level surpassed ninety percent of the people. Hence, he had some understanding of multinational corporations like the East Africa Oil Company.

The East Africa Oil Company is an international enterprise with operations in numerous regions including Austria-Hungary, Russia, the United States, and Romania.

So Chavez had no doubt about East Africa Oil Company’s financial power. But were they truly the culprits?

Regardless of whether they were guilty, Chavez still decided to visit the local branch of the East Africa Oil Company, and the one who received him was Endel, whom he refused the previous week.

”Chavez, you’re coming uninvited!”

Endel was leisurely drinking green tea in a room, and in this hot and humid place like Venezuela, a sip of green tea seemed to bring a slight chill to Endel.

Chavez came straight to the point, ”Mr. Endel, are you aware that the Dan Black Gang was eradicated yesterday?”

Endel’s eyebrows twitched, but he feigned surprise, ”Really? I wasn’t aware, and who are the Dan Black Gang? I’m a legitimate businessman and have never heard of them. Did they possibly offend someone?”

Watching Endel put on an act in front of him, Chavez sat down at the coffee table and tapped it casually, ”Perhaps! I heard that there was a conflict between your company and the Dan Black Gang?”

Endel chuckled, ”Indeed, some people caused trouble, but who knows if they were from the Dan Black Gang? After all, those street thugs didn’t declare their factions.”

Chavez asked, ”You really have nothing to do with this incident...”

Endel was unfazed by Chavez’s probing. He set down his teacup and said, ”Of course, our East Africa Oil Company is a world-renowned legitimate enterprise, how could we be linked with gangs, let alone eliminate one. That’s the police’s job, no?”

Chavez wasn’t bothered by Endel’s sarcasm. After all, a week ago, he had refused Endel, and now Endel’s enemy had been wiped out.

Chavez was almost certain that this was the work of the East Africa Oil Company. He said, ”It better be because such a large shooting scene is bound to leave behind some evidence, and it’s best not to be linked to your company.”

Endel’s expression became somewhat awkward, ”Chief Chavez, I speak politely to you out of respect, but that doesn’t mean I’m easily bullied. Behind us at the East Africa Oil Company stands the Rhein Empire, and the honor of imperial citizens cannot be slandered. Currently, while all European countries are at war, no one in the world can challenge the empire’s interests and dignity.”

This was a blatant threat, but Endel’s words indeed gave Chavez a shock throughout his body. As for whether the suspects were the East Africa Oil Company, it no longer mattered.

Even if it indeed was the East Africans, could he, a mere police chief, afford to offend them? Behind Endel stood one of the world’s most powerful nations.

If Chavez was truly unwise, he might end up like the Dan Black Gang. Their demise also made him realize that this sent a warning to local powers in Malaykaibo, and the aftermath would soon unfold.